Noah Lyles improves personal best at Boston indoor meet and targets Usain Bolt’s world records
The six-time world gold medallist broke the 60m meeting record in Boston with a 6.44 dash.
Athletics
Noah Lyles has passed his first real test in the Olympic season with flying colours**.** The star sprinter set a personal best of 6.44 seconds over 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Boston on Sunday (4 February).
The 100m, 200m and 4 x100m world champion lowered his personal record by 0.07 and bettered Maurice Greene’s meet record from 25 years ago.
That’s the start the American had hoped for in his Olympic year as he readies for the 2024 World Indoors in Glasgow in March.
“We’re coming after everything. All the Olympic medals. I don’t care who wants it. It’s mine,” Lyles said in an interview with NBC Sports.
Lyles edged out Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (6.45), while 2018 world indoor bronze medallist Ronnie Baker took third in 6.54.
Fred Kerley the 2022 world 100m champion, finished fourth in only his second 60m indoor race in 6.55.
Lyles who had won his heat in 6.54 as Kerley topped his in 6.57, was buoyant after dashing to the world lead which he believes demonstrates his plans to run even faster in the outdoor season and break Usain Bolt's world records.
“My confidence has now sky rocketed.Let’s go get a world indoor medal!" - Noah Lyles.
“This is just amplifying my thoughts for the outdoors. Why not world records...why not world records? Why shoot for something small, when we [can] go big?” said the 2023 World Athletics Male Track Athlete of the Year in a post-race interview, adding he’s been hitting the weight room more as he targets the world 60m indoor title, and the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“I have been in the weight room, I had the ability to strike the ground with more force.
“I was just looking at my 60m split at the World Championships in the 100m I came through at 6.46, I believe. I was looking at Christian, and he’s coming through at 6.42 and Ackeem Blake was coming through even faster, I was like. I got to get there, I got to get deep into 6.4s, so that when I come out in the outdoor season, it’s going to make that 7.5 and faster, coming down much easier."
Grant Holloway extends unbeaten record to 10 years
Grant Holloway won the 60m hurdles in 7.35 ahead of Trey Cunningham (7.49) and world bronze medallist Daniel Roberts who also timed 7.49 for third.
The Boston win extended the three-time world champion’s unbeaten streak at the event to 10 years. Holloway, who is also the world indoor record-holder, last lost the 60m in March 2014.
“To run 7.3 both rounds like that? I couldn’t be more proud of myself?” said Holloway, who’d won his heat in 7.37.
“Coming into this year I took a big risk of switching a couple of things in my strength and conditioning program, I feel it was one of the things that was good, and I’m reaping the benefits right now.”
Mikiah Brisco topped the women’s 60m in a season’s best of 7.10, while USA’s Tia Jones won the 60m hurdles in a world-leading 7.72, beating world record-holder Tobi Amusan whose 7.75 for second was an African record.
Marco Arop and Jess Hull set continental records
World 800m champion Marco Arop also wowed the Boston crowds as he came close to the 1000m world indoor record. The Canadian’s solo run for most of Sunday’s race pushed him to a quick 2:14.74, the second-fastest indoor time in history and a Canadian indoor record.
After going through the 400m in 52.84, Arop powered to 1:46.69 at the 800m mark to win by over two seconds from USA’s pair of Bryce Hoppel (2:16.91), and Sam Ellis (2:17.10).
Jess Hull set an Oceania record of 8:24.93 in the women’s 3000m. Australian Hull sprinted past American world indoor silver medallist Elle St Pierre who is back on track after a maternity break in the final lap, clocking the fastest time ever at the Boston meet.
St Pierre held on for second in 8:25.25, while Ethiopia’s indoor debutante Melknat Wudu took third place in 8:32.34, to improve compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba’s world U20 indoor record from 20 years ago.
Ethiopian’s Olympic silver medallist Lamecha Girma clinched the men’s 3000m in 7:29.09 as countrymate Gudaf Tsegay, the Rio 2016 bronze medallist, took the women’s 1500m (3:58.11).